THE TASA TIMES

SUKKOT 5781 KAPPAROT TZEDAKA October 2, 2020 14 , 5781 As in past years, the students at TASA participated in the pre- Issue 3, 2020-21 ritual of Kapparot. Kapprot is done by taking a chicken or money and saying special prayers and then Lately they have been rolling dice to help them practice writing “exchanging” the money (or chicken) to charity as an atone- their sight words. In this activity you roll the dice, see what ment prior to Yom Kippur. The students brought Tzedaka mon- number it lands on, and then write ey and together raised $135.34 to be sent to Od Yosef Chai, a the corresponding sight word in the wonderful organization that feeds poor families in Israel. We space provided below! This is a quick then added the monies of our Tzedaka boxes and were able to and fun activity that really helps fa- make a donation of $249.00 on behalf of our TASA students. miliarize the students with the sight We are proud of their willingness to help others and do the words. At this rate the kindergarten Mitzvah of Chessed. kids will be reading in no time.

Scientists at Work

2nd-3rd Grade and Middle School have had the opportunity to explore science through science labs. All of the labs are fun, hands on experiments, where students can understand the scientific method in action.

One of the 2nd-3rd graders favorite experiments was being able to explore chemical reactions. The students mixed a solid and a liquid element (vinegar and baking soda) and were able to observe how they react to make a gas.

Middle School had the opportunity to determine if a substance was acidic or basic by adding cabbage juice. When the cabbage juice was added it changed the color of the substance. This process helped them discover if the substance was acidic, basic or neutral.

Just like 2nd and 3rd grade students, the middle schoolers were able to explore chemical reactions with a lab called elephant Kinder Kurrents toothpaste and also with the vinegar and baking soda lab.

Our Kindergarteners has been hard at work learning new sight words: I, am, the, little, to and a! They know that these are words that you can instantly read just by looking at them (no need to sound them out).

They have created flashcards for their sight words and practice reading them everyday. There is so much you can do with sight words like making sentences, practicing spelling and of course reading stories!

Torah Academy of San Antonio—3003 Sholom Dr., Ste. 200—San Antonio, TX 78230—Ph.: 210-607-7261 www.torahacademysa.com

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What’s New TASA Crew!

FROM THE DEAN’S DESK

Beautiful Expressions Noy —The Decorations of the Sukka should exhibit the quality of beauty, but that beauty should be part of the essential nature of the “.” is the holiday of joy, Zman Simchateinu. After the soul searching Thus, after so much structure of the prayers and and seriousness of the High Holi- customs related to and Yom Kippur, days, we transition into the festive we give voice to our own expression of love and mood of Sukkot. The sights and smells of this holi- dedication to G-d. We offer our very best and use all day, the , Etrog, Hadas and (palm of our abilities and talents to "beautify" the com- frond, citrus, myrtle and willow), the smell of the mandments of the Sukkot holiday. The Noy Sukkah, Schach (covering of the sukkah) and of course the represents our contribution, in our small way to hon- change in weather, that usually occurs this time of or Hashem and do it in the most beautiful way possi- the year. ble.

One of the customs of Sukkot is called "Noy Sukkah" Chag Sameach! which means the decorations of the Sukkah. This Rabbi Y. Marrus custom includes embellishing our with beautiful ornaments, endless chains of colored craft paper, pictures, and even the hanging of fruits on the inside of our Sukkahs. Some have the custom of fo- New TASA Student & Family ברוכים הבאים cusing on filling the Sukkah with guests as the "decorations" of the holiday. We would like to greet and say Beruchim Ha’Baim to What is the meaning of this custom and why do we Amir & Batel Shvartz and their daughter Ofir seem to be focused on the physical and material as- (Kindergarten). pect of the Mitzvah, instead of the spiritual and es- sence of it? Welcome to our TASA Community!

The teaches ( 133) “This is my G-d and I will give Him Beauty,” (Shemot 15:2) may be interpreted in this way … “Make yourself beautiful before Him in your performance of the “Mitzvot,” the Commandments: “… a beautiful “Sefer Torah,” with beautiful ink, with a beautiful pen, by an expert Coming Soon!! scribe, and placed in a beautiful covering. The above  Thursday, October 5th - Sukkot Carnival, principle, of performing the Commandments in a Special Programming beautiful way applies to all the (248) Positive  Friday, October 9th - , “Mitzvot,” or Commandments of the Torah, but has No School special application to the “Mitzvot” of Sukkot, where  Monday, October 12th - Isru Chag, Late “beauty” is not just a quality describing the Com- start @9am mandment, but is an essential part of the Command-  Friday, October 16th - End of 1st Quarter ment. Grading Period When the Torah describes an “Etrog,” a Citron Fruit, as a “Pri Eitz Hadar,” (Vayikra 23:40) a “fruit of a tree of beauty,” it doesn’t mean to say only that the fruit

Torah Academy of San Antonio—3003 Sholom Dr., Ste. 200—San Antonio, TX 78230—Ph.: 210-607-7261 www.torahacademysa.com